Yet another tipping thread.

Depends on the service obviously. I waitered for many years, listened to problems ran around after their every need, cleaned up after their kids trashed the place, gave advice on wine and food. I would only work in a restaurant that quoted good tips. If I didn’t get good tips I’d leave. This is why restaurants now just have what I call plate plonkers with no idea about food etc because proper servers get other jobs.

Tipping is huge in the US. American tourists will go.in large numbers to whisky distilleries. They probably tip generously. Gin people trying to copy? Just a train of thought.

I knew an older gentleman who was a taxi driver , we often chatted and he would tell me how some people were mean with their tips and some generous , when he brought his books / papers in for assessment to the office I worked in . I rarely used taxis because of cost and I was working for minimum wage so I would tell him I could never afford to tip or take a taxi . I couldn't believe it when I was told he lived in a beautiful village in a huge mansion worth quite a few million . I visited the outside of this mansion and to this day I still wonder if he is still taxi driving and expecting big tips

Younger people don’t do it or very reluctantly if they feel awkward.
My GD and her friends never tip taxi drivers and only when eating out if it is added as a service charge.
They feel almost embarrassed and say no one rewards them for doing their jobs.

Is tipping a generational thing - do younger people do it? I have no idea.

What a lovely story, Time2!

On a coach tour around the Isle of Lewis, we were very disappointed with the guide who seemed ill-prepared and mostly pointed out the peat farms. Other than that, she seemed to be making it up as she went along; quite a few participants had fallen asleep whilst on board! 💤

When it was over, she made sure the back door of the coach wasn’t open so everyone was obliged to leave by the front door next to which she stood in anticipation of receiving tips. I’m not sure too many were paid; we only gave verbal thanks. ☹️

No I wouldn’t tip the guide is paid a wage I’m sick of the tipping culture, I have enough of it when I go on a cruise it’s an American shipping company so you can imagine the tipping culture on there

I completely agree with you

Friends took us to a hotel for a short break . The restaurant was practically empty on a Saturday night in December. We had to ask for the air con to be turned off as it was freezing. The meal was what I can only call average. We were charged for a bottle of wine which they did not have in stock and also for the one we consumed. When our friend got the bill, a 10% surcharge had been added and in addition 20% VAT which was nowhere listed on the menu. I would have called Trading Standards to complain. Surely illegal. She didn't leave a tip.

I didn't tip the coach driver on the trip I went on with a girlfriend, I married him instead!

It's quite funny really, as he told me as part of his chat up line that he expected a good tip from me, I told him I didn't believe in tipping, so he'd be out of luck, but said that I'd buy him a drink in the bar that night. One thing led to another, and we've now been together for 33 years, and very happily married for 26! That's one coach tour neither of us will forget!

20% is a bit thick! Don't Scrooge employers know there's a cost-of-living crisis (which, several years on, is still with us.)

I did think, when this government was elected that food bank dependency would diminish, but not so. Very much the opposite.

And so, if eateries are expecting the paying public to subsidise mean wages then they'll have to whistle for it!

GrannyIvy

My hairdressing situation is the same as yours - my hairdresser is the salon owner too. I go twice a week and so a minimum tip of 10% would cost me an extra £300+pa. More when the 10% is added to the coat of a tint and trim every 10/12 weeks.

But I do give her a jolly nice Christmas and Birthday presents and some chocs at Easter (c) £75, £50, £25 -ish.

So I save about £150pa and she's happy too with the gifts. A few £ tips just disappear in her purse so she says that she eagerly looks forward to my gifts as she doesn't get so many as she uses to years ago
Same for us all, I think!!

(I read in an etiquette books years ago that you never tip someone you use regularly if they are the business owner, but you give them gifts instead at others times

Obviously, if you only use them once in a blue moon then you tip them as though they're an employee).
.

I had a meal at Stanstead airport on Friday. For what the meal was I consedered it expensive, so when the card machine asked for a tip I declined. I did feel guilty as the waiter had been helpful and friendly but the truth is I couldn't afford it!
I once had a meal out with friends who were all planning to tip. I went along with it as I would have been embarassed to refuse, but the meal had been disappointing and the service awful! Everyone clearly was unhappy about things as we decided never to go there again, so why did they feel obliged to tip!

I do sometimes tip in restaurants if the meal and service has been good, I don't tip my hairdresser as she is the owner of the salon, when she was employed I did, but I only have a dry cut these days so not there for more than 20 minutes.
We recently went to a Beefeater restaurant when it came to paying the bill our friend asked the waitress if they added the tip onto the card payment would she get it? she said they don't get it all , so we gave a cash tip, I presume it is taxed the other way.

Babs03

Am not sure why anyone would tip the driver of a coach, he is surely paid to drive the vehicle and isn’t somebody’s uncle doing everyone a favour, and if he has driven well isn’t that part of his job description or are we supposed to be grateful he didn’t plough into the cars ahead or knock over pedestrians on a zebra crossing?
I mean would you dream of tipping a bus driver or train driver, is just silly.

That’s a very good point! I never thought if it from the bus and train driver angle,
In the 50s, my granddad was a bus diver. When he drove for the Mystery Tours, (for the Western Welsh Co. in West Wales, if anyone remembers going on those), he was always tipped handsomely. Most of the passenger were local and knew him. Also, he was cheerful and helpful and went out of his way to make sure his passengers enjoyed the trip. If anyone wanted a short stop to admire a view, or to nip into a local shop, he would oblige.
They don’t make them like that any more.

We don't tip.

Am not sure why anyone would tip the driver of a coach, he is surely paid to drive the vehicle and isn’t somebody’s uncle doing everyone a favour, and if he has driven well isn’t that part of his job description or are we supposed to be grateful he didn’t plough into the cars ahead or knock over pedestrians on a zebra crossing?
I mean would you dream of tipping a bus driver or train driver, is just silly.

No, I would expect that a tour guide anywhere was either being paid a wage, or was volunteering and that the person would in neither case expect or accept a tip.

Absolutely not tipping after paying that for a tour,£45! I assume they paid by the company and it's not a voluntary position? I would only tip max £2 and only if they were excellent and went over and above! No one tipped me in my job!!!

Mum1959

Tipping should be your own decision not suggested by anyone else

👏👏👏👏

No tip for that.

think it's not right.

Mum1959

Tipping should be your own decision not suggested by anyone else

Absolutly right. I don't make it a problem, do it if you want too, don't if you it's not right.

rafichagran

I don't care if people don't tip. I know that I do. I get a good service I tip. Good luck if they make good money.
I don't know why it annoys people as its not obligatory and if you don't want to do it dont.

The not obligatory and the what percentage is becoming a real problem, though it hasn’t gone as far as it has in the US yet.
On a cruise, it’s suggested that we tip the coach driver and the guide. I do try to have some GB £ or Euros on hand if I feel the guide has done a really good job, but the moment obligation creeps in, it puts me off. And why tip the driver? If it’s a reputable firm, surely he’s paid well enough.

Getting off the coach and watching Americans handing out handfuls of coins or even sometimes a note makes me feel a bit mean, but then they’re making up for my lack of contribution.

In Venice this year we had a sandwich and a drink in a cafe. When we were paying the server said 'You must tip me three euro'. We would have left a tip anyway but what a cheek.